Is Rick Perry smart enough to be president? The Lone Star State's governor disagrees with the premise of the question.

“Running for the presidency is not an IQ test. It is a test of an individual’s resolve, it is a test of an individual’s philosophy, it is a test of an individual’s life experiences,” he told MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt in an interview that aired Thursday. “And I think Americans are ready for a leader that will give them a great hope about the future.”

Perry, who is planning a second presidential bid, is seeking to move beyond a failed 2012 campaign plagued by missteps and negative national coverage. (The tenor of his media treatment during the last election cycle is probably best summed up by the 2011 Politico headline, “Is Rick Perry dumb?”)

The GOP governor has yet to formally announce his candidacy but he has been studying up with policy experts and has received a heavy dose of media training for the national stage. He is hoping that will sufficiently prepare him to run for the GOP presidential nomination a second time.

“We are a substantially different, versed candidate,” Perry told The Washington Post’s Phil Rucker during a 90 minute interview this week.

If Perry does enter the race, he will be closely watched by those eager to lampoon any gaffes or errors. He acknowledges that he won’t have much room for mistakes.

“I think everybody has some margin for error. I’ve probably got less than other folks but that’s okay,” he told Hunt.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is revamped for 2014 -- and it's not just those glasses that have changed. Amid increasing buzz about a potential 2016 run, see how the once-Republican presidential candidate has transformed. (Julie Percha/The Washington Post)